Red Rabbit

Casey, Last I read, you were considering barrel racers from Payson. You don't want some whiskey-drunk bar-fly.

Gino, Is Shiela pointing a wing on a string? Doug~RR

I've read about people training dogs just to find antler sheds. A quick google: http://www.outdoorlife.com/article_gallery.jsp?ID=1000014194 http://www.antlerdogs.com/ http://ventosakennel.com/shed_antler_detection

The RCBS kit has what you need to get started in addition to the Dies and shell holders and a powder trickler. The Rockchucker is a great press. Other items I like are the: 1) Lee Powder Dippers to quickly scoop a close amount of powder onto the scale. 2) Caliper 3) Hornady Lock-n-Load Gauge (formery Stoney Point AOL Gauge) and the Bullet Comparator to determine bullet seating depth. 4) tumbler 5) case trimmer 6) the Chargemaster powder dispenser/scale combo is pretty slick. 7) Nosler and Hornady reloading manuals For sizing die sets, I like the Forster Ultra die sets because of the micrometer bullet seater. You might want a powder funnel that has diff tips for diff case mouths. I prefer the ease of Hornady One Shot spray instead of the lube pad. If you are going to load for handguns, you might consider a progressive reloader due to the numbers involved. What a good way to spend that tax incentive money

There is a fairly complete list on the ABA website. click on the "Shoot Schedule for 2008" http://www.arizonabowhunters.org/aba_014.htm

There were 10 people in the pool with 17 BP for elk according to the BP report. Max for antelope was 19. I have a friend with 17 points for elk and did not draw the early rifle bull tag in 9. RR

Flagstaff, You must be unlucky like me in the antelope draws, cuz we're waiting the longest to draw (finally with 18BP a tag was issued from the 20% bonus pass). Hopefully next year bad luck will ruled out by you being in the pass round also. I think the draw and BP data may be online next year to help shoose a unit wisely. Holy Moly- 4300 1st choice applicants for 65 permits in 7 last year. Don't think any system could be fair to those at the bottom and/or top. Guess most may have to realize that an antelope tag is like a sheep tag, and one realistically may never draw one. If one does, to count their blessings. Doug

I received this email today from Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation: Sportsmen Need to Speak Out for Wild Sheep With only two weeks of Committee hearings and three months of the 2007-2008 fiscal year remaining important bills may be grinding to a halt while the Legislature continues its marathon effort to negotiate a budget bill to address the $1.3 billion short fall in revenue. The operative word in the sentence above is" may" as any and all deadlines may or may not be extended. That is why work at the legislature is never done till sine die and why we work till the last minute to affect important policy decisions. Budget Sweeps Efforts are still underway to salvage as much of the La Osa Settlement money as possible from being swept by the Legislature. The Arizona Game & Fish Department (AGFD) received $2.8 million of the $12 million dollar settlement, the proceeds of which were supposed to be used to offset costs of wild sheep recovery programs for the Silver Bell heard which were infected by domestic goats that were allowed to migrate into the Silver Bell Mountains near Tucson. The Silver Bell desert bighorn sheep population is one of the last remaining indigenous herds of bighorn sheep in the state and funds are needed to cover monitoring, medical expenses and other costs related to restoring the herd to its pre-settlement population numbers. The Arizona Game & Fish Commission has already conceded the sweeping of $4.7 million in watercraft license money and an additional $1.3 in off highway vehicle money. It is now important that sportsmen step up to save the LaOsa money. Unlike other state agencies, the Arizona Game & Fish Department, with the exception of Heritage Fund dollars that flow from the Lottery and Indian Gaming Funds secured via the efforts of former Commissioners, is totally funded by sportsmen's dollars. Hunting and fishing license fees, big game permits, water craft license fees, excise tax on hunting and fishing equipment provides the lion's share of revenue for the department. Sportsmen have consistently stepped up to the plate and asked for their fees to be increased when needed by the Department. Time and again the Legislature has swept AGFD money when needed to solve budget shortfalls. It is time for the sportsmen of this state to say "enough is enough" . Don't balance the budget on the sportsmen's dollar. We need to draw the line on La Osa Settlement money and ask the Legislature not to sweep any of those funds and to "repay watercraft license fee and off highway vehicle money" at the earliest possible date. Unfortunately, Arizona's wild sheep and other wildlife populations cannot speak for themselves. We need to speak for them. Please contact your Legislator today and tell them "Not to take the $2.8 million in La Osa Settlement Money. It is not general fund money and should not be used to balance the state's budget". Remember only email your State Senate and House legislators.

With inexpensive glasses, you should get a better image with Porro prism binos as opposed to roof prism, and lower magnification over high. I have read some nice reports of the Leupold Yosemite bino for right at 100 bucks. One model is the 8x32. Here's a review of some mid-priced binos http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/2007rou..._midpriced.html and another (two years old) http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Publications/.../Age_Binos.html RR

Poorly written and ambiguous. Is it saying discharging within a quarter mile, or wildlife within a quarter mile? What is the phrase "within one-fourth mile" modifying?

Flagstaff, Here is the data from the 2007 draw for unit 7 antelope. #BP, #applicants 1st&2ndchoice, #drawn, % 0, 1276, 0, 0 1, 1247, 2, .16 2, 876, 4, .46 3, 761, 4, 6, .53 4, 519, 6, 1.16 5, 509, 5, .98 6, 529, 1, .19 7, 414, 1, .24 8, 347, 0, 0 9, 329, 3, .91 10, 261, 4, 1.53 11, 219, 4, 1.83 12, 221, 3, 1.36 13, 192, 2, 1.04 14, 118, 0, 0 15, 118, 8, 6.78 16, 69, 4, 5.80 17, 61, 12, 19.67 18, 5, 2, 40.0 As seen, the chance of getting drawn is not great until one is near the 20% pass group. Only 12 of the 61 in your BP group were drawn last year, so there are still many more left than the 14 permits allocated in the 20% pass this year. There were 4,339 first choice applicants for 65 permits. Not enough critters to make every applicant successful last year (or for many years to come if you do the math).

How is the luck of the elk draw (or lack of luck) going to affect your choice of Coues hunts? Will scouting trips and hunt dates affect which hunt date you apply for? On a side note, we may want to attend the open houses that Keith pointed out to see about any changes to the coues hunts and number of permits. http://www.azgfd.gov/artman/publish/article_776.shtml

I glanced at the commission agenda, but did not see the topic mentioned. Did I overlook it? http://www.azgfd.gov/pdfs/inside_azgfd/age...ssionAgenda.pdf

Tony, Looks like you had another excellent spring break. Those college kids on South Padre Island don't know what they're missing. Doug~RR

The 338 RUM would deliver some energy (from both ends of the rifle, too)

I can't see any realistic difference between the 270 and 280. Your 270 and a 150 Partition or TSX will work fine if you are uncomfortable about borrowing the 300. You get to hunt with a rifle that you are familiar with and one that has less recoil leading to better shot placement. You can see what kind of shot distances you will have on your scouting trips. THe 270 with a 150 Nosler is not much diff at 500 yards from a 300 with a 180 Nosler http://federalammo.com/ballistics/Ammo_Sea...earm=1&s1=1

Don't forget to add bear and Abert squirrel with the bow to your fantasy

DB, I am with you on hoping to draw one good hunt, and putting the effort and time into scouting. With the two primo tags I drew, the September archery deer season and blue grouse on the North Kaibab will be eliminated by the antelope hunt. With an elk hunt right after Thanksgiving, that eliminates the Nov coues hunts and the season opener for Mearns. I will not put in for NM, so I can scout for AZ elk. Guess I am stuck applying for a Dec coues hunt Tyson, don't forget that archery turkey stamp for unit 8 RR

These open houses may be worth attending. I have heard that some units may have 4 coues hunts, and the season lengths, dates and permit numbers have been changed. I like some of the changes I have heard about. The proposed recommendations for the 2008-09 Arizona hunting and trapping regulations will soon be available for review on the department’s Web site and at a series of open houses at the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s regional offices. The annual hunting and trapping regulations establish the seasons, season dates, bag limits, open areas, and hunt permit-tag quantities. During the regional open houses, no formal presentation will be made. However, a knowledgeable staff person will be available to discuss regional hunt recommendations. The open house schedules are: Monday, April 7, 3-5 p.m. – Arizona Game and Fish Department Pinetop regional office, 2878 E. White Mountain Road. Tuesday, April 8, 3-5 p.m. – Arizona Game and Fish Department Tucson regional office, 555 N. Greasewood Road. Tuesday, April 8, 6-8 p.m. – Arizona Game and Fish Department Kingman regional office, 5325 N. Stockton Hill Road. Wednesday, April 9, 3-5 p.m. – Arizona Game and Fish Department Mesa regional office, 7200 E. University Drive. Wednesday, April 9, 3-5 p.m. – Arizona Game and Fish Department Yuma regional office, 9140 E. 28th St. Thursday, April 10, 6-8 p.m. – Arizona Game and Fish Department Flagstaff regional office, 3500 S. Lake Mary Road. If you are unable to attend one of these open houses, the 2008-09 hunt recommendations will be posted on the Game and Fish Department's Web site on Saturday, April 5 and you may download a PDF file to review at your leisure. The recommendations will be posted at www.azgfd.gov/h_f/hunt_guidelines.shtml. The recommendations are scheduled to be presented to the Arizona Game and Fish Commission for consideration during its April 18-19 meeting in Phoenix at the department headquarters at 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix (1.5 miles west of I-17).

The Sub MOA has a better graphite/fiberglass stock that is pillar-bedded. It comes with a sub 1" 3-shot target. The regular Vanguard comes in an injection molded stock and a sub 1.5" 3-shot factory target. http://weatherby.com/products/guns.asp?prd...code=VMM7M8RR4O

The draw results are being told in this thread. http://forums.coueswhitetail.com/forums/in...ic=8681&hl= With 17 BP for antelope, it is time to be selective. You will hopefully draw in the next year or two.

You can read alot of evaluations and opinions on archerytalk.com The 2008 bow evaluation shoot-off is not finished yet. Shoot em all then decide. Get your draw length accurately measured though. I like the new Bowtech General, even if it is not a speed bow. But if you do indeed have a 32" draw to get speed, being able to use smooth drawing cams is a blessing. Bull Basin here in Flag carries Hoyt, Mathews and Bowtech and others for a one-stop comparison. Congrats on the unit 8 tag.

I've been hearing a lot of that today..... Really wierd. Making photocopies of the application and check before stuffing the envelope would be advised.

Kevin, Kirby was honest and good to work with. We had a problem with the barrel from Pac-Nor being out of spec, so we waited some extra time for a replacement. He was not as long as others timewise and cost was reasonable. Hard to get a hold of on the phone, but answered emails promptly and fully. He may be busier now as more find out about him. Doug

Nov 28-Dec 4 rifle bull elk in 22 South